Take the Road to Whatville

JUST FIVE MINUTES UP the road from the mountain village of Angel Fire’s only stoplight sits Whatville, a 10-acre art installation and events space. Created by Ray Renfroe, the whimsical landscape is a maze of colorful sculptures, found objects, and reimagined structures. The former tiny-home builder’s vision began in the 1990s, when he purchased the land with one simple dream: “Making people smile and feel good when they leave,” he says. Today, that vision is nearing full realization. A newly constructed space includes a small stage slated for intimate concerts and family-friendly events. Renfroe is also seeking a liquor license for a bar area while his daughter Cheyanne finishes painting the door trim turquoise—a local tradition that began as a fly deterrent and evolved into one of the state’s signature architectural details. Little else at Whatville resembles traditional New Mexico architecture. A weathered blue grain silo from the 1940s—rescued from a lumber yard—now perches atop a nearby shed. The shape sparked his colorful imagination, and he’s hoping to collaborate with another artist to transform the towering tin structure into what could become the world’s largest walk-in kaleidoscope. For Renfroe, the bigger picture is community. He hopes Whatville becomes a gathering place that unites nearby towns, artists, and musicians. “We can work together where it becomes northern New Mexico, you know, not this separated Red River, Angel Fire, Taos. We’re northern New Mexico when it comes down to it.”